The Indiana State
Fingerstyle Guitar Competition
July 26, 2014
Kade Puckett, last year’ s winner.
Forty of the finest fingerstyle guitarists in the United States are expected to compete in the second annual Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Competition July 26 at the Brown County Playhouse.“ We’ ve got guys coming in from all over the country, we’ ve got International winners,” said organizer Kara Barnard.“ If you are a fingerstyle guitar player, Brown County is the place to be toward the end of July.”
The three-day event, running July 25-27, includes guitar workshops and public performances. Top prize is a $ 5,500 handmade OC Bear guitar.
There will be all-inclusive workshops prior to the evening performances. Barnard said even non-musicians and casual listeners“ absolutely will” enjoy the performances.
Many great competitors will be at this year’ s event, but few will generate as much buzz as Maxwell Hughes, the Grammy-nominated former member of the Lumineers, who took third place in the International Competition in 2012. Hughes has also worked with The Head and The Heart and Imagine Dragons. He will be featured Friday night and will also compete Saturday.
“ Friday night is our big tent party at the Pine Room,” she said.“ All the winners from the last couple of years will be there playing. We’ ll have music inside and outside.“ Maxwell will be playing and any of the guys who show up. You never know who is going to show up,” she said. Saturday is the juried competition, with the winner slotted for a spot in the Saturday night show and, of course, the prize guitar.
There will be a youth division competition, and Barnard is pushing to get as many last-minute entrants for that competition as possible.“ Then on Sunday, we have workshops designed for anyone, from someone who’ s just starting to pick up a guitar all the way up to advanced fingerstyle guitar players,” she said.
For more information you can visit the Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at < indianastringfest. com >. •
60 Our Brown County • July / August 2014